Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Sanjeev Gupta

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government to whichentities owned by Sanjeev Gupta did the British Business Bank extend the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme; who was responsible for (1) credit assessment, and (2) due diligence; and from which accounts were any loans issued.

Lord Callanan: We are unable to provide information relating to individual borrowers as it is commercially sensitive. However, details of facilities made available under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) will be published where required by the European Commission’s Transparency Aid Module in due course. CBILS facilities are delivered through the British Business Bank’s accredited lenders, who are responsible for making credit decisions in accordance with the scheme’s rules.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will disclose the names of (1) borrowers, and (2) amounts borrowed, under (a) the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, and (b) the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

Lord Callanan: Details of facilities made available under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme will be published where required by the European Commission’s Transparency Aid Module in due course.

Retail Trade: Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide additional financial support to retail businesses who do not trade online.

Lord Callanan: Retailers have been able to benefit through an unprecedented support package including loan schemes, grant funding, tax deferrals, the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The Government will continue to provide eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England with 100% business rates relief from 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021. This will be followed by 66% business rates relief for the period from 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2022, capped at £2 million per business for properties that were required to be closed on 5 January 2021, or £105,000 per business for other eligible properties. We have provided one-off ‘Restart Grants’ of up to £6,000 for non-essential retail premises, expected to benefit over 450,000 non-essential retail businesses. My Rt hon Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a new ‘Help to Grow’ initiative, providing £520 million to help SMEs recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by adopting digital technologies and providing management training to boost productivity.  The initiative contains two schemes:Help to Grow: Digital – this scheme will be available from the Autumn with small businesses able to access free impartial advice on how technology can boost their performance. Eligible businesses will also be able to get a discount of up to 50% on the costs of approved software, worth up to £5,000. Vouchers are initially expected to be available for software that helps businesses: Build customer relationships and increase sales.Make the most of selling online.Manage their accounts and finances digitally.Help to Grow: Management – this scheme will offer MBA-style management training to SMEs with the aim of increasing innovation and boosting growth.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 17 December 2020 (HL11087), what assessment they have made of whether it would now be a good use of public resources to publish the names of those firms borrowing under Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and Bounce Back Loan Scheme.

Lord Callanan: Details of facilities made available under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme will be published where required by the European Commission’s Transparency Aid Module.

Greensill

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Greensill Capital remains listed on the British Business Bank website as an accredited lender.

Lord Callanan: The British Business Bank is tasked with administering the Covid-19 debt guarantee schemes to ensure compliance with its terms. The details of its compliance activity with individual lenders is a commercially sensitive matter. While the Bank looks into Greensill’s position it is not able to originate new lending that benefits from a Government guarantee.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their policy of "seamless trade across the UK's Internal Market" as stated in the Policy Paper by the Business SecretaryUK internal market, publishedin July 2020 (CP 278), as it relates to Northern Ireland.

Lord Callanan: The Government has consistently stated its commitment to the preservation of seamless trade across the whole of the United Kingdom’s internal market, including between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, within CP226 published in May 2020 and the White Paper published in July 2020. The UK Internal Market Act 2020 implements these commitments compatibly with the Northern Ireland Protocol and in doing so protects Northern Ireland's place in the UK Internal Market. In light of challenges in the first part of this year, temporary operational steps have been taken to minimise disruption, support the effective flow of goods and provide a period for businesses to plan, particularly in the current circumstances of a global pandemic. We continue to work very closely with businesses to look at any issues that do need to be addressed, and to offer any support that is required.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultants they have used in the (1) planning, and (2) rollout, of the COVID-19 test and trace system.

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total amount they have spent to date on consultants in the (1) planning, and (2) rollout, of the COVID-19 test and trace system.

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what targets they set for each consultancy appointed to work on the COVID-19 test and trace system; and when each of these targets was met.

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent to date on the COVID-19 test and trace system; and, of the total amount, how much has been spent on consultancy fees.

Lord Bethell: Around 2500 consultants from approximately 72 different consultancies have been hired by the Department for any period from 1 March 2020 to the present day to undertake work on the planning and then rollout of the NHS Test and Trace programme. The figures have changed week on week since the programme began. Information how these figures are apportioned between the planning and rollout phases is not held in an appropriate format and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.In financial year 20-21, £450 million is budgeted for Professional Services, which includes management consultants. This was revised on 28 Feb 2021 from £438 million. We do not have an audited figure which differentiates between what was spent on the planning and the rollout stages of the Test and Trace Programme. Audited annual accounts will be published later this year for the Test and Trace Programme.Every consultancy contract awarded by the Department contains a set of service objectives and activities which the suppliers will deliver. These are set out in the individual contracts which are published. The service objectives are linked to the overall programme plan andbusiness objectives for the Test and Trace initiative. Each contract has a different timeframe for the delivery and completion of its objectives; progress and performance is monitored by regular meetings and engagement with the supplier.£450 million of the £22 billion funding for Test and Trace, is allocated to ‘professional services’ which includes management consultants. Audited annual accounts will be published later this year for the Test and Trace Programme.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the quantity of glass vials that will be needed to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, (2) the capacity to manufacture these vials, and (3) any procurement or delivery issues that may arise.

Lord Bethell: The procurement of vials is the responsibility of the manufacturer and the United Kingdom Government has actively engaged with each manufacturer regarding manufacturing capacity, procurement and delivery to ensure enough stock is available, providing additional support where required. The UK has a sufficient number of glass vials available, due to orders already placed with manufacturers.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Risby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the spread of misinformation regarding the COVID-19 vaccine; and what plans they have to ensure that there is public confidence in vaccinations in the future.

Lord Bethell: The Department is working closely with Public Health England and NHS England and NHS Improvement to provide authoritative information to the public and urge everyone to seek National Health Service advice, so they have the right information to make an informed choice about getting vaccinated. We are also working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to help social media platforms identify and act against incorrect claims about the virus in line with their terms and conditions. This includes anti-vaccination narratives that could endanger people’s health.

Health Education

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking topromote health and wellbeing nationally.

Lord Bethell: In summer 2020 Public Health England launched the ‘Better Health’ programme with a television, radio and digital campaign to support the nation to take simple steps to look after their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Better Health is focused on a number of health behaviours including weight loss, physical activity, mental health and quitting smoking. It is targeted at those most at risk. The Better Health programme directs people to evidence-based online apps and tools to support them make and sustain changes to improve their health. This includes the National Health Service 12-week Weight Loss app, Couch to 5K, Mind Plan and Active 10.

Coronavirus: Prisoners

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners aged 80 years old and overreceived the COVID-19 vaccinationby, and including,15 January.

Lord Bethell: The information is not currently held centrally in the format requested.

Accident And Emergency Departments

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand same-day emergency care to all emergency departments in England; and what the timescales are for any such plans.

Lord Bethell: NHS England and NHS Improvement’s planning guidance 2021/22 priorities and operational planning guidance published on 25 March 2021 includes guidance to progress the work already underway through the same day emergency care (SDEC) programmes. This guidance includes that systems should:- maximise the utilisation of direct referral from NHS 111 to other hospital services including SDEC and specialty hot clinics and implement referral pathways from NHS 111 to urgent community and mental health services; and- adopt a consistent, expanded, model of SDEC provision, including associated acute frailty services, within all providers with a type 1 emergency department to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. A copy of the planning guidance is attached.2021/22 planning guidance (pdf, 163.6KB)

Health Services: Females

Baroness Grey-Thompson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 19 February (HL13078), whether the women’s health strategy that is currently in development will make provision for improving patient access to diagnosis and treatment for women-specific health concerns including heavy menstrual bleeding and endometriosis.

Lord Bethell: The evidence gathered through the call for evidence will inform the priorities, content and actions in the new Women’s Health Strategy for England. The online survey within the call for evidence seeks information on menstrual health and gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis.

Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to lay before Parliament theHealth and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities)(Amendment) Regulations 2021drafted by the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

Lord Bethell: The Government acknowledges the drafted regulations and responded to the Joint Committee on Human Rights regarding them on 22 February 2021. Although we have considered using these regulations to help allow care home visiting, we have decided to pursue non-legislative routes, which allow us to move more swiftly in changing circumstances and to accommodate all care homes. We recognise the very significant impact that restricting visiting in care homes and mental health settings has had on residents, their family and loved ones. We are taking a carefully balanced, step-by-step approach to opening up more visiting opportunities. New visiting arrangements started on 8 March and every care home should enable each resident to nominate one named person who can make regular, indoor visits. Those residents with the highest care needs can also nominate an “Essential Care Giver” who will be able to visit more often in order to provide essential care. They will have the same testing and personal protective equipment arrangements as care home staff. Our guidance makes clear that care homes should support this visiting as the default. We are working with the care home sector to encourage and enable care homes to do so.

Department for Education

Music: Education

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) funding, and (2) operations, of music hubs.

Baroness Berridge: The government believes that the arts are an essential part of a broad and balanced education and that high-quality arts education should not be the preserve of the elite, but the entitlement of every child.Music Education Hubs have a vital role to play not only in core school music but also ensuring children have access to all the benefits of a wider musical education through instrumental lessons and ensembles. They have acted swiftly and innovatively to support schools through the COVID-19 outbreak, including the continuation of continuing professional development to classroom teachers.On Friday 26 March, the department announced £79 million in the financial year 2021-22, to fund Music Education Hubs. This funding had already been confirmed earlier this month with Arts Council England, our music hubs delivery partner, and they confirmed funding with all the Music Education Hubs organisations. The government also announced our ambitious plan for all children to have access to high-quality music education, with the publication of the Model Music Curriculum, a new music curriculum for key stages 1, 2 and 3. The plans to refresh music lessons follow the full return to school for all pupils this month, and alongside wider plans to help pupil catch-up on lost education.

Schools: Uniforms

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions the voluntary guidance on school uniform costs has been amendedsince 2013.

Baroness Berridge: The non-statutory ‘school uniform: guidance for schools’ has not been updated since September 2013. This guidance updated the department’s previous guidance on school uniform, published in May 2012, giving it a greater emphasis on securing best value for money in the supply of school uniforms. The guidance is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform and in the attached document.The government is supporting the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Private Members' Bill to enable the department to put our guidance on the cost of school uniform on a statutory footing.HL14405_attachment (pdf, 247.4KB)

Breakfast Clubs

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the value of school breakfast clubs, and (2) the impact of hunger on learning in the classroom; and what steps they intend to take in response.

Baroness Berridge: The department knows that breakfast clubs can bring a wide range of benefits for children. An evaluation by the Education Endowment Foundation found that supporting schools to run a free of charge, universal breakfast club before school delivered an average of 2 months additional progress for pupils in key stage 1 with moderate to low security. Breakfast club schools also saw an improvement in pupil behaviour and attendance.We support around 1.4 million children through universal infant free school meals, and a further 1.4 million through the benefit related free school meals, providing nutritious meals for children.During the COVID-19 outbreak, we have continued to support children learning at home while schools were largely closed, through the provision of vouchers or lunch parcels. Our supplier, Edenred, have reported that more than £90 million vouchers have been redeemed by families for use in supermarkets during the most recent period of school closures.The department is investing up to £38 million in the National School Breakfast Programme. This money is kick-starting or improving breakfast clubs in up to 2,450 schools in disadvantaged areas, making them sustainable in the long run. Approximately 280,000 children are supported by this scheme.We are extending our support for breakfast clubs until 2023, to make sure thousands of children in disadvantaged areas have a healthy start to the day.

Pupils: Coronavirus

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure the new £700 million education recovery package for children and young people will prioritise those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Baroness Berridge: The department is aware that the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak has been felt most heavily by disadvantaged children and young people, and so it is vital that support is targeted here.In June 2020, the department announced an initial package of support worth £1 billion, including a catch up premium worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time. Alongside this universal grant, a National Tutoring Programme worth £350 million will provide additional, targeted tuition support to disadvantaged pupils who have been hardest hit from disruption to their education as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Research shows high quality individual and small group tuition can add up to five months of progress for disadvantaged pupils.In February 2021, the department appointed Sir Kevan Collins as Education Recovery Commissioner to advise how to help pupils make up for their lost education over the course of this Parliament. The department has provided a further £700 million to support education recovery measures, bringing total investment in catch up to over £1.7 billion. This package includes significant funding aimed at addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils.This package includes a one-off £302 million recovery premium for the next academic year that will be allocated to schools based on the pupil premium eligibility. Schools with more disadvantaged pupils will therefore receive larger allocations.Schools will continue to receive the pupil premium every quarter. Each school’s original pupil premium strategy will not have been delivered since March 2020 and the pupils’ needs will have changed or intensified. The department recommends that, as part of the planning for needs based universal catch up, headteachers should review their pupil premium strategy and amend it to reflect the new situation from September 2020.The department will provide £200 million in order to expand our successful tutoring programmes. This will fund an £83 million expansion of the National Tutoring Programme for 5 to 16 year olds in the 2021/22 academic year, £102 million funding extension of the 16 to 19 tuition fund for a further year to support more students in English, mathematics and other vocational and academic subjects, and £18 million funding to support language development in the early years, supporting a critical stage of child development.The department will also make a further £200 million available to secondary schools to help deliver face to face summer schools this year, offering a blend of academic teaching and enrichment activities to support education recovery. Schools will be able to decide whether to run a summer school and how to make places available. We recommend an initial focus on incoming year 7 pupils, but schools will have the flexibility to target provision towards the pupils they feel will most benefit.

Schools: Admissions

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for requiring schools that are responsible for their own admissions policies to provide their local education authority with (1) data on the most recent admissions round, and (2) their current admissions policies.

Baroness Berridge: Local authorities will hold data on the most recent admission round because they receive all applications in the normal admissions round and send out offers of places on the national offer days, which are 1 March for secondary schools and 16 April for primary schools.All admission arrangements for state-funded schools are also published in the local authority composite admissions prospectus which can be found on each local authority’s website.Admission authorities are required, by the School Admissions Code and the School Information (England) Regulations 2008, to send their admission arrangements to their local authorities for inclusion in the composite prospectus by 8 August each year.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Peers: Conduct

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to the ‘Valuing Everyone’ training session for Peers on the morning of 16 March, whether describing a female over the age of 14 as a ‘girl’ rather than a ‘lady’ in the course of their parliamentary duties would constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct for Members of the House of Lords; and if so, what the penalty would be.

Lord McFall of Alcluith: Only the Commissioner for Standards and the Conduct Committee can decide whether something is a breach of the Code of Conduct, upon receipt of a specific complaint to the Commissioner or appeal to the Conduct Committee. They do not deal with hypothetical situations.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

North Korea: Capital Punishment

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the public executions in Pyongyang on 2 March of people charged with illegally distributing entertainment media; what representations they have made to the government of North Korea about such reports; and what plans they have to raise these reports at the next meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of recent reports of public executions in Pyongyang of individuals charged with distributing illegal entertainment media. Due to the closed nature of the regime in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, we cannot verify the accuracy of these reports. The UK, working with partners, ensures that annual UN resolutions consistently call on the DPRK to end its use of the death penalty and adhere to international standards on judicial procedures. We also continue to raise our concerns directly with the DPRK Government, including with the DPRK's Ambassador in London.

Overseas Aid

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of theanalysis by Lord Macdonald of River Glaven of their decision to cut the level of foreign aid spendingto 0.5per cent of the national income.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary has taken a range of advice in respect of the decision to reduce aid spending to 0.5% of GNI. The International Development (Official Assistance Target) Act 2015 clearly envisages that the 0.7% target may not be met in a particular year, in the light of economic and fiscal circumstances, and provides for reporting to Parliament in the event that the target is not met. Since the economic situation is difficult to predict, we are monitoring the situation and planning accordingly.

Department for Work and Pensions

Kickstart Scheme

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications have been received for the Kickstart Scheme; how many have been approved; and how many individual participants this includes.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: As of 18th March 2021 there have been over 15,000 applications received for Kickstart Scheme, we have approved over 150,000 jobs and over 6,000 young people have started their placements.As of the 12th March 2021, there had been over 900 unique gateway applications approved and over 1,200 unique employer bids accepted on the Kickstart Scheme.Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system which has been developed quickly. The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency.

State Retirement Pensions: Canada

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe request on 16 December 2020 bymembers of the Canadian Parliamenttoestablish a reciprocal agreement on the uprating of pensions for UK state pension holders residing in Canada.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: A request has been received from the Government of Canada and, as indicated in my previous answer on 10 March 2021, the Government intends to respond to this letter in due course.

State Retirement Pensions: Bermuda and Gibraltar

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when reciprocal social security arrangements were made with (1) Bermuda, and (2) Gibraltar, whereby UK state pension holders resident in those territories receive the annual uprating of their state pensions.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The UK entered into a reciprocal social security agreement with Bermuda in 1969 and with Gibraltar in 1974.

State Retirement Pensions: British Overseas Territories

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofprogress on implementing the request by the governments of British Overseas Territories during the December 2015 Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on the uprating of pensions for UK state pension holders residing in those territories.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The policy on up-rating UK State Pensions overseas is longstanding and has been supported by successive Governments for over 70 years. Annual index-linked increases are paid to UK State Pension recipients where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example where recipients are living in countries where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.This Government continues to take the view that priority should be given to those living in Great Britain when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.

Kickstart Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that more young people are enrolled in the Kickstart scheme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Departments’ Kickstart Scheme is open to 16-24 year olds on Universal Credit, at risk of long term unemployment. Work Coaches refer eligible young people who are at risk of the scarring effects of long term unemployment to Kickstart jobs following a discussion to ensure the best fit for employer and young person.

Home Office

Human Trafficking: Children

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that police forces in England and Wales can collaborate with EU counterparts on missing children and trafficking investigations when a child has been trafficked from the UK to Europe.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Tackling modern slavery, including child trafficking, is a priority for this Government and we are committed to continuing to work closely with EU partners to address this heinous crime.The UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) delivers a comprehensive package of capabilities that ensures we can work with counterparts across Europe to tackle serious crime. This includes enabling our law enforcement agencies to continue to share information on investigations, including those related to child trafficking, with EU counterparts.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Victoria and Albert Museum: Collections

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the Victoria and Albert Museum about securing for the Theatre & Performance Collection (1) expert custodianship, and (2) continued safe access for (a) researchers, and (2) other members of the public.

Baroness Barran: The V&A Museum has a duty to protect its collections and make them available to the public. The responsibility to determine how to discharge this duty is delegated to the Museum, as an Arm’s Length Body of Government. As such, the proposed restructure of the V&A’s Curatorial, Research and National Art Library departments is an operational matter for the Museum.As the sponsor department, we have a close working relationship with the museum and I am assured that - even after these changes are made - there will be no material impact on public access, including for research purposes, to the Theatre and Performance Collection, and that appropriate expertise will be retained when the new structure is in place.

Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Truscott: To ask the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, further to the remarks by the Leader of the House of Commons on 11 March (HC Deb, col 1006), what discussions they have had with him about reports of the costs of the refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster; and whether they have any plans to review (1) the feasibility, or (2) the affordability, of the refurbishment.

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: The Sponsor Body has regular engagement with the House of Commons Commission (which includes the Leader of the House as a member) on a range of issues relating to the Restoration and Renewal Programme, including on costs.The Sponsor Body has a statutory duty, under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, to have regard to the need to ensure that the Parliamentary building works represent good value for money. Value for money is at the heart of everything we do and we have robust assurance processess in place to ensure costs are minimised.The Sponsor Body does not recognise the reported figures of £10 to £20 billion costs for the Parliamentary building works. Supported by the Delivery Authority, the Sponsor Body is in the process of developing a detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan that will for the first time give an accurate sense of the costs, timescales and full detail of the work needed. It is the work of the detailed and costed restoration plan which will determine the forecast cost for R&R. The detailed restoration plan will be focused on delivering value for money and will be informed by more than 100 surveys and investigations of the Palace of Westminster. The detailed and costed plan will be put before both Houses for a decision before the Parliamentary building works can commence.The Sponsor Body has recently undertaken and published a Strategic Review of the R&R Programme. The purpose of the review was to consider whether anything had changed so significantly as to warrant a change in the strategy for the Programme. The Sponsor Body invited views from Members, Members' staff, parliamentary staff and members of the public. We also consulted with the Commissions of both Houses, as well as relevant parliamentary committees, on the draft Strategic Review recommendations. The review recommends new approaches to completing the restoration while minimising costs and ensuring value for money, and provides a clear direction for the next stages of the work. The Review is available at: https://restorationandrenewal.uk/resources/reports/strategic-review

Ministry of Justice

Offences against Children: Jersey

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the BBC Four documentary Dark Secrets of a Trillion Dollar Island: Garenne, broadcast on 15 March, what assessment they have made of the government of Jersey’s handling of child abuse; and whether they will appoint an independent inquiry to investigate the handling of such abuse.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: In December 2013 Jersey’s government appointed an independent inquiry to investigate allegations of the abuse of children in the island’s care system from 1945 to date. The Independent Jersey Care Inquiry (IJCI) opened on 3 April 2014. Led by an independent panel of experts, the IJCI conducted a wide-ranging investigation into all aspects of child care and protection services in Jersey, closing on 3 July 2017 with the publication of the “Final Report of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry”. The Inquiry’s Report made eight key recommendations for the future management of child care in Jersey, all of which were accepted by the government of Jersey. The Report also suggested that the IJCI should be invited, in 2019, to review Jersey’s progress against those recommendations. Jersey agreed; the review took place as scheduled with the follow-up report being published on 23 September 2019. It acknowledged Jersey’s commitment to implementing the recommendations of the ICJI and commended Jersey on its progress. Jersey is not part of the United Kingdom. As a self-governing dependency of the Crown with autonomy in its domestic affairs, child care and protection matters in Jersey are the responsibility of the Jersey authorities. It would not therefore be appropriate for the UK to appoint an independent inquiry to investigate this matter.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pensions: Appeals

Lord Craig of Radley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto introduce direct lodgement for all appeals to the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber; and if so, (1) how, and (2) when, it will be implemented.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: As part of the reform within the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber, the Ministry of Justice will continue to work closely with colleagues in the Ministry of Defence to explore options for introducing Direct Lodgement for all appeals. This is part of the Government’s £1 billion investment to reform our courts and tribunals system. Our programme will improve the service provided to users by building a modern system for administering justice which will benefit all users.